Lanier: school security has improved

WASHINGTON – D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier thinks the nation has come a long way with school security during the past decade despite the horrible tragedy in Connecticut.

“I think nationwide, government has done a lot of things to try and ensure that schools are safe,” Lanier tells News Channel 8. “School security measures over the past decade have been pretty robust around the country. And even in this case, there was school security that had the doors locked. You know, ten years ago, that wouldn’t have been the case.”

Police in Connecticut say the gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary shot through the security system to enter the school.

“Nothing is foolproof,” says Lanier.

She says the goal should be to “try to minimize any harm that comes from bad things that do happen.”

The nation’s other goal: “for all of us to look at what are the things that we can do in terms of government action, to make schools safer,” Lanier says.

Lanier says she’s glad the D.C. Police Department has a good relationship with D.C. schools.

She says there is a larger presence of school resource officers at area schools, which she says is reassuring to students and parents.

The increased number of police in schools also provides more opportunities for officers to talk with students.